Astrobotic Technology Inc., which is planning to send its first lunar lander to the surface of the moon later this quarter, is celebrating another company milestone this year.
The North Side-based aerospace company announced it successfully completed the first commercial test launch of Xodiac, a vertical-takeoff and vertical-landing (VTVL) reusable rocket, as part of its partnership with the University of Central Florida (UCF).
Over a series of four flights carried out in Astrobotic's Mojave, California-based facility, Xodiac was able to test the effectiveness of the Ejecta STORM laser sensor, which has been developed by researchers at UCF to study the interactions between rocket plumes and the loose, rocky surface of the moon referred to as lunar regolith. UCF is Astrobotic's first commercial customer to partake in such a testing scenario with the Xodiac rocket platform.
Astrobotic said data gathered from this sensor will help scientists and researchers better understand potential plume-surface interactions that may occur when humans return to the moon as part of NASA's Artemis program.
Astrobotic’s Propulsion & Test Department carried out the testing, a new unit that joined the company after Astrobotic acquired Masten Space Systems in September 2022 for $4.5 million. Over the years, Masten-developed Xodiac has completed over 150 successful flights with a 100% mission success rate.
"I'm thrilled that we can continue to provide this unique flight test capability for our customers as part of Astrobotic," David Masten, chief engineer for Astrobotic’s Propulsion & Test Department, said in a prepared statement. "We designed Xodiac for maximum reusability, and the fact that we’re still flying the same vehicle eight years later says a lot about Xodiac‘s durability and the value of the services it provides."
